Fishing

Fishing Forecast

Mogollon Rim  |  White Mountains

Fishing Rating:   Hot  Good   Fair  Poor

Mogollon Rim

Bear Canyon Lake – Rating:

Bear Canyon Lake is steep, as well as deep. There is little shallow water, except at the upper end of the lake. Fish using small spinners and lures. If fishing off the bottom, avoid casting out too far where the water is very deep. Bait anglers should try fishing with a worm and bobber. Fly anglers using a float tube or kayak can find solitude at Bear Canyon Lake, especially on weekdays. However, fly-fishing from shore or wading is difficult because the tree line comes right to the water’s edge, and the water gets deep close to shore. Rainbow trout are stocked once in late September, and trout will survive several weeks after stocking. Water quality is good despite water levels being low.

Black Canyon Lake – Rating: 

After a poor winter and hot summer, Black Canyon Lake is quite low. The boat ramp and dock are out of the water, limiting boat access. About one-third of the lake is thick with weeds. Catchable-sized rainbow trout were only stocked during the spring, but may persist this year due to fire closures restricting access and angling pressure. Late summer water quality measurements were poor, suggesting fishing may not be productive until cooler temperatures and cloudy days decrease algae blooms.The lake also currently contains illegally introduced green sunfish and largemouth bass; anglers are encouraged to catch and remove these species to help control their populations. There is no limit for bass and sunfish here.

Chevelon Canyon – Rating: 

Because of the difficult access, this lake is popular with float-tubers. Its deep canyon and well-forested edges make this lake a cool respite during the summer. As fall progresses, watch out for spawning brown trout upstream of the lake. Try not to target fish on redds or step on redds in the stream. This lake has a great population of wild browns. Protecting spawning fish will allow these populations to thrive.  Some lures to try are Kastmasters, Panther Martin spinners and Rapalas for stocked rainbows and wild brown trout. Fly-fishermen should try wooly buggers or wooly worms in black or brown colors, crayfish-colored patterns, and brown or black simi seal leeches, peacock ladies or other large streamers. Chevelon Canyon is stocked with fingerling trout in the spring and managed as a put-and-grow fishery. Lake levels are way down and launching boats will be difficult this summer. Chevelon Canyon Lake is a hike-in or ATV accessible lake only, with a two trout limit and artificial fly/lure only regulations.

Clear Creek Reservoir – Rating:

Rainbow trout are stocked once in April and once in May as a put-and-take fishery. Fishing is fair after stockings but can diminish as water warms beyond trout tolerance. Fishing for sunfish, catfish and carp remains good throughout the summer. Try small hooks with a worm and bobber near rocks and structure for sunfish. For bullhead and channel catfish, use bait on bottom such as worms and chicken livers, especially at night when catfish are most active.

Willow Springs Lake – Rating:

Lake levels are low this year, but boat launching is still good. As daytime temperatures cool, water stratification breaks up and trout disperse throughout all depths. Willow Springs is stocked with catchable rainbow trout weekly until the end of September and tiger trout were stocked in May. Large numbers of trout remain uncaught into the fall and continue to provide excellent opportunity for anglers. Try Kastmasters, small Rapalas or Panther Martins for either species. Shore anglers fishing for trout can try nightcrawlers or PowerBait. Green sunfish and smallmouth bass were illegally introduced to this lake. Try a small hook with a worm under a bobber, even during the hotter parts of the day.

Woods Canyon Lake – Rating:

Just like at Willow Springs Lake, water temperatures should be mixing and letting fish move freely into deep water. Large numbers of trout remain uncaught into the fall and continue to provide excellent opportunity for anglers.  If fishing for trout from shore, try PowerBait or worms. Fly anglers may have luck on dry flies or small nymphs right at sunset. Boaters can try trolling a Super Duper or tiny gold Kastmaster lures. The lake is loaded with crayfish; try fishing for large trout with spinners or lures that imitate crayfish patterns. Fish for illegally stocked green sunfish along the rocky shore with nightcrawlers. Woods Canyon Lake is stocked weekly throughout September with Rainbow Trout and in May with Tiger Trout.

White Mountains

Becker Lake – Rating:

Becker Lake can only be fished with artificial flies and lures with a single point barbless hook, catch-and-release trout only. Big rainbow and tiger trout lurk along the weed beds on the south end, but can be found in the middle of the lake by boat and float tube as well. Flies to try are midges, prince nymph, brown Montana stone and KP bugger. There is limited opportunity for shore fishing and wading especially due to low water, but there is a floating fishing pier that is handicapped accessible. Spin fishermen can try Z-rays, small Kastmasters or Panther Martins with the treble replaced with a single point barbless hook.

In early fall, fishing is best in the morning before the wind picks up and evenings after the monsoon storms have passed. With cool daytime temperatures. fishing can be productive from dusk to dawn. A 2018 spring fish population survey found lots of rainbow trout from 14-20 inches (most in the 18-19 inch range). Illegally introduced largemouth bass can also be found in this lake and anglers are encouraged to harvest bass to help the trout populations.

Big Lake – Rating:

Cooling daytime temperatures and afternoon monsoon storms are helping to break up algae blooms and improve visibility in Big Lake. Because of its size, productivity and visitor amenities, Big Lake is considered one of the White Mountains’ best fishing lakes. Anglers should see increased bite as the weather cools and trout become more active.

Bait and shore fishermen can try anything from worms to PowerBait. Fishing from a boat is generally more successful in the early fall than fishing from the shoreline, when the fish move into deep, cooler water. As temperatures cool, trout will be found in shallower water, but shore angling remains difficult due to low water levels. Boaters should try trolling spinners and flies. Rainbow trout often forage on bottom, while cutthroat trout may be a couple feet higher in the water column. To attract cutthroat, use lures that resemble crayfish or their movements. Brook trout will hit flies, but also try nightcrawlers on the bottom. Spring 2018 fish population surveys found healthy numbers of rainbow and cutthroat trout, including cutthroat up to 20 inches and weighing more than 3 pounds.

Greer Lakes (Bunch, Tunnel, River) – Rating:

Tunnel and Bunch reservoirs both are about 10 feet deep on average. River Reservoir is the largest and deepest of the Greer Lakes, with an average depth of 20 feet. Because it is the largest and deepest, and last in line of the three, River typically will have the most water, the longest into the fall before filling again. Water rights are owned by the irrigation company and the lake levels get extremely low during the summer, so by fall, River is usually the only lake with enough water to be worth fishing. When the lakes begin filling again in the fall, fish near the inflows where the water is freshest.Try insect and crayfish mimic flies and lures flowing in with the freshwater.

Trolling flies, such as brown or black wooly buggers, or spinners, is likely to work well in River Reservoir. Fly fishermen should try the upper end of River Reservoir where the river comes in and the lake is shallower. Sometimes there’s good surface action in the evenings; try hoppers or nymphs under a hopper in the early fall when insects are active.

Carnero Lake – Rating: 

Fishing from the shoreline or using spinners or lures is difficult at this lake because of the weeds. The best way to fish is from a small boat, canoe or float tube. Fly fish for rainbow trout and tiger trout with wooly buggers, prince nymphs or light-colored nymphs in open areas. The water is deepest near the islands on the north end of the lake. Water levels are low this year and poor water quality was an issue in the summer. However there are fewer weeds than normal and more open water. As of late August, water quality was already improving, and will only get better throughout the fall as cooler daytime temperatures and afternoon monsoons cool things down. Access is still difficult and requires a slog out into the mud to get a float tube or kayak in. Carnero won’t fill back up until winter storms, so put your chest waders on and fish!

Clear Creek Reservoir – Rating:

Rainbow trout stocked in spring should be fished out by now. Instead, target warmwater species like largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish and common carp. As daytime temperatures cool, even in Winslow, bass should be more mobile and active. Fish during the morning from a boat or kayak, cruise around and enjoy the unique geology through the middle of the day, and then catch the evening bite at night. Try small hooks with a worm and bobber near rocks and structure for sunfish. For bullhead and channel catfish, use bait on bottom such as worms and chicken livers, especially at night when catfish are most active.

See the pdf file for the remainder of the lakes in the White Mountains region:

Clear creek
Concho
Crescent
Fool hollow
Greer lakes
Lee valley
Little colorado
Little colorado river
Luna
Lyman
Nelson
Patterson
Rainbow lake
Scott
Scott reservoir
Show low creek
Show low creek meadows
Show low lake
Silver creek
Woodland lake

*Community fishing lakes